Only one way
by xXCHAZYWOOXx
Summary: "It's incredible. What I feel when I'm flying this viper right now, its. It's well." Apollo's interest perked, "Yes?" "Well, its freedom Apollo. Pure freedom." Not yet rated. No slash. Simple A\Starbuck centered story.


**I'm sorry about my limited knowledge about the time references in Battlestar Galactica. I will do my best to try and mimic there usage of time. Also if you see any spelling mistakes be sure to point them out. **

"That s it fellas a full pyramid. Now if anyone can match it, by all means." Starbuck glanced around the table, watching as the men lowered there heads and placed their, rather unworthy, cards onto the table. Jolly, Boomer, and even the Commander's son, Apollo, sat as their eyes lit up in awe. Well I guess that means I take home the prize! Come to papa!" He greedily grasped all the cubits he could. Pulling them into a safe home, hidden in a side container on his belt. _Ahhh, what a nice game..._

Apollo interrupted Starbucks thought as he roughly tapped on his shoulder whispering with urgency into the lieutenants ear, "Enough s, enough Starbuck. We have to go on patrol now! Were already a centar late!" Starbuck moved his throbbing ear away from his Captain. Glaring slightly at Apollo, he looked at the other three men, still unable to handle their defeat. "Well, that s it for me boys." He swore he saw Boomer smile.

Jolly stood up and groaned with annoyance, "You gotta be cheating Starbuck. Even the lords of Kobal don't have that kind of luck!" It was true; the Lords didn't have the luck that Starbuck seemingly had. It had this unnatural effect on the events around him. His viper, the fighter ship, flies with such ease all the stars in the endless space sky gawk with astonishment. Once, with both wings sparking flames, two thrust engines gone to kingdom kong, he was still able to shoot down pursuing cylons as all around him his vision and his viper filled with smoke. He landed safely on the Galactica, even though he was unconscious when they opened up his ship. But still the man survived. His name became a common whisper amongst the younger cadets. Each with their own story of how they saw the great Starbuck evade death once more. He might not have the military strategy of Commander Cain, but if the man was aboard the Galactica, even the living legend s eyes would fill with envy of the younger. He was seemingly invincible.

Starbuck chuckled, "You know your name so doesn't fit you Jolly, they should call you envy or jealousy. It seems so much the more fitting to me." He shook his head arrogantly and stood from his seat. _He might be the luckiest man on this ship, but that arrogance is going to get him hurt._ Apollo quickly came to Starbucks side, grabbing hold of his friends shoulder firmly silencing him before he hot-headedly sighed his own death warrant, "Now, now Starbuck. We all get that you won." Starbuck only nodded in response, still basking in his own glory. "But, that patrol isn't going to wait for another pyramid game." Sighing, Starbuck exited the officer s lounge to follow Apollo. Boomer took this time to sit at the table, "So whose up for an honest Starbuck free game?" The whole room filled with hands shooting up towards the ceiling. "I thought so."

"Apollo," Starbuck groaned. He had begun his early ritual of annoying Apollo. It was one of his many, many hobbies. "These patrols last forever! What I think they should do is pair a guy and a girl u-" "Starbuck!" Apollo chuckled. His friend always had his mind in the worst of places. "No no, what I mean is, make the vipers bigger. Have two seats instead of one. Then you have some room for...Well you get my idea." _I swear Starbuck will die happy as long as theirs a girl in one arm and a perfectly aged ambrosa in the other..._"Starbuck I would willing dress in pink and dance down the halls of the Galactica if you could go one day without bringing up something like that." Starbuck turned his smile to its most affective degree, "What I would give to see the day..." Apollo laughed and slapped his friends shoulder, knocking the man from his thoughts. "Let s get going, shall we lieutenant?"

Apollo was a lot different from Starbuck. Instead of having his mind somewhere else, he would be in the present. Never stopping to fantasize about some girl he met while waltzing threw the Galactica. He focused on his work like it was his pleasure. Bowing respectfully at dinners, while Starbuck sat plainly, flirting and charming the wife to be. They were opposites, though neither admitted to it, but they attracted each other like magnets. A great bond of friend ship easily made, even though any other sane person would turn the other cheek. Maybe it was their differences that drew the two together, or it could just be they annoyed each other so much that they actually begun to crave the others insults. Starbuck's whines about the endless patrols, and Apollo's hatred of anything Starbuck did. Gamble, smoke, get into fights, and fly circles around him. It was so messed up, that it worked.

Starbuck lazily jumped into his viper, grabbing his golden helmet and placing it on himself. He closed his eyes at the lights flicked on, "another design flaw..." he whispered to himself. The glass window pulled itself down and closed with a generous thud. He looked over at Apollo and gave a wave as he waited for the Captain to enter his own viper, so they could hurry up and launch. Apollo used the ladder out of courtesy, lifting his leg over the edge of the viper. He took that moment to glance at Starbuck, whom at the time took the liberty to wave at him. Apollo twitched his fingers as a light wave back and lifted his other leg, lowering himself into his viper. He took his helmet and placed it on himself, and watched as the lights flicked on., "Always found that beautiful," He could hear some grumbles on the com system. With any luck that was Starbuck actually attempting to remember the Patrol schedule. He could never understand that laziness of his. A moment later and he put out the request to launch.

"Vipers launch when ready," Starbuck grumbled something about never being ready but Apollo had gained the amazing power of ignoring his usual comments. He looked down at his control stick and pressed the launch button. It was always hard to be prepared for that sudden jerk, but Apollo had gotten used to it. When asked about it, he lightly told a joke about how he's been around jerks his whole life, insert sudden look at Starbuck here, and then be on his way to enjoy that wonderful sarcastic response he had come to love.

Starbuck held his breath as he let his finger slip to the launch button. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the seat behind him, preparing for that unexpected pull the viper gave as she roared to life. He loved his ship, and the noises she made while soaring threw the stars. It wasn't just the sounds, but the feel of the vibrations she made. It made everything around him so alive, so hopeful. And free. He pressed down on the launch button and smiled as the lights flashed all around him, even with the sudden crook in his neck it gave him. Red, white, Red, white, and red again until all he could see was stars. But of course, he was floating in space.

* * *

Boomer looked down at his cards. He glanced over them, holding a stern look, even though inside he was bottling up his excitement. With Starbuck out of the way he was the best gambler, but of course. He was always second best while with Starbuck. It was good to have a little glory here and there. Jolly grinned and placed down his cards, "Three parts of a pyramid. Read 'em and weep boys."

"Beats me," said Gardner.

"Pfft, I'm out," announced Terry.

"Well I guess that means I'm taking the prize!" Jolly grasped a good amount of cubits until he was suddenly interrupted by the man sitting next to him, now holding his wrist with a grin across his face.

"Not so fast Jolly," Boomer put down his cards. "A full pyramid." Jolly's mouth practically hit the table under him in his astonishment. He sputtered out a few sounds which Boomer took as his trophy. He laughed at the other three who also stood, eating the smoke he left behind. He grabbed the cubits and put them safely in a container, waltzing away taking in his glory. _Ahhh, finally a good honest win._

* * *

Starbuck groaned.

"Ok is something wrong? This is like the seventh time you've done that." Apollo spoke into his com, a bit concerned about the welfare of his whining friend. Starbuck shifted his helmet on his head. Apollo caught the rapid movement on his com system. He raises an eyebrow in confusion. "They never make these things just right yah no? Its on that one size fits all bases." Apollo chuckled. Starbuck and his complaints. Sometimes that s the only thing that entertained him on these patrols. "So true" Apollo agreed. That's also because your in Jolly's viper." A gasp sounded over the com system. "Really? That's why this is so fracking big!" Both shared a laugh as they continued their patrol threw the stars.

Apollo heard a sound threw his speaker. He opened his eyes with a jolt, taking in the moment before realizing he had fallen asleep. He whipped the sleep from his eyes. "Starbuck?" No answer. Apollo looked around his vision, in search of his friend. "Starbuck?" He asked again. This time, he was enlightened to hear soft breathing through his com. He sighed out of relief. Looking at the time, he knew it was time to head back to the Galactica. "Alright Starbuck, time to get up. Were heading back now." Apollo turned his viper around. "Aww, do we have to be going so soon?" Apollo chuckled. "Yes Starbuck. You know my father has a strict rule about not staying out to late."

Starbuck was enjoying his peaceful sleep when he was awakened by Apollo's rather unexpected greeting. While on the Galactica you can never enjoy a peaceful time to yourself, you're either head over heels obeying commands or what Starbuck would call a peaceful non-harmful game of Pyramid. Then again, nothing with Starbuck could ever be "non-harmful". He groaned slightly, wiping his eyes. His fingers danced across until they collided with he cold surface of the joy stick. Clasping his hand around it, he lazily turned his viper and grinned when he saw Apollo's waiting for him.

"Your father isn't the one enjoying the scenic view now is he?" Starbuck quipped. Apollo shook his head. He looked over his shoulder to see the tip of Starbuck's viper closing in on his right. He moved his viper over and slowed his speed so they were now next to each other. Starbuck waved and Apollo returned the gesture. "You know sometimes I don t understand you." Starbuck laughed, "sometimes?" Apollo shook his head and continued paying attention to the sensor as he watched the two 'blimps' on the screen fly by hand in hand, knowing well that what he was looking at was himself, and then the hot head flying next to him.

"What is with you and flying your viper? It's like your transfixed or something." Apollo questioned. He listened to his com carefully, while looking at the other pilot threw his windshield. He watched as Starbuck's features relaxed as he let out a sigh. He was the most handsome warrior on the fleet, hence the millions of girls lined up just to be by him. Apollo could have been jealous of his friend, if he didn't already have his eyes set on a girl of his own. "Well, you weren't raised in the academy Apollo. Everyday was like I was in a prison, it was hell." Apollo laughed, Starbuck always brought up, amusing at the least, stories about his 'adventures' in the academy. He was thrown out twice for threatening a superior officer. Then again, the academy officers were always breathing down your neck. One of them had to be taught a lesson.

"It's incredible. What I feel when I'm flying this viper right now, its. It's well." Apollo's interest perked, "Yes?" "Well, its freedom Apollo. Pure freedom." Starbuck smiled, watching as the endless sparkling sky whirl with such staggering complexity. It took the breath away from the young warrior. Apollo looked at his friend, watching the man light up with such hope and yet bewilderment, it was unexplainable. He would definitely tell Boomer about this. "I guess it is Starbuck."

Another 'blimp' appeared on Apollo's screen, as well as Starbucks. Apollo smiled, _were home..._ Starbuck only sighed. Looking once again at the sky before taking a good look at the ship he'd been cooped up on most of his life. _It's like walking back into the academy once again..._


End file.
